Art and English Literature

Art and English literature is a degree that brings together the visual and the verbal, two of the most powerful modes of human expression and communication. Both disciplines train you to read and interpret cultural artefacts with care: in literature you develop the tools to analyse how language, narrative, and form create meaning in texts; in art you develop the tools to do the equivalent for images, objects, and spaces. Studying them in parallel enriches your engagement with both, since literature and visual art have always been in conversation, influencing each other in ways that neither subject can fully address alone.

This four-year full-time programme at the University of Reading develops your skills in literary analysis alongside a rigorous grounding in art history and visual studies. You will read texts from across literary traditions and periods while also engaging with the history of art from antiquity to the contemporary, learning to write and think critically about both. With a typical tariff of 120 points, the programme attracts students who have genuine interests in both areas and the commitment to develop them seriously over four years.

Reading has strong departments in both English and art history, and the university's own collections and proximity to London's galleries and museums provide practical resources for the visual side of your study.

You will develop close reading skills, the ability to make and sustain extended analytical arguments about cultural works, and a sensitivity to how form and context shape meaning that is applicable across many professional fields. The critical and cultural literacy you develop serves you well in any professional setting that values intelligence, communication, and the ability to interpret complex material.

Graduates move into careers in publishing, arts journalism, curating and museum work, arts administration, education, cultural management, public relations, and a range of roles in the creative and cultural industries. Some continue to postgraduate study in English, art history, or related disciplines, and others move into professional training routes in law, teaching, or broadcasting.